Uganda History, Geography, Economy and Important Events

Uganda derives its name from the state of Buganda, which covers a large part of the country's south, including the capital Kampala. The people of Uganda were hunters from 1,700 to 2,300 years ago, when the Bantu-speaking population migrated to the southern parts of the country. In 1894, the region was ruled as a protector by Britain, which established administrative law throughout the region. Uganda gained independence from the UK on 9 October 1962. The period has since been marked by violent conflicts, including an eight-year military dictatorship led by Idi Amin. Additionally, a protracted civil war against the Lord's Resistance Army in the Northern Territory, led by Joseph Cooney, caused hundreds of thousands of casualties.

The country of Uganda is located on the East African Plateau, at a distance of about 1,100 meters (3,609 ft) above sea level, extending a great distance northward to the Sudanese Plain. Some international trade organizations classify Kenya as part of the Greater Horn of Africa. Much of the country's south is influenced by one of the world's largest lakes, Lake Victoria, which includes several islands. The most important cities are located in the south, near this lake, the capital Kampala and the nearby city of Entebbe.

Uganda's central bank is the "Bank of Uganda". The country is experiencing continued economic growth. In the financial year 2015-16, Uganda registered real GDP growth of 4.6 percent and at least 11.6 percent. This compares to the 5.0 percent real growth in the financial year 2014-15. The country has large reserves of both crude oil and natural gas. While 56 percent of agriculture was in 1986 with coffee as the main export in the economy, it is now overtaken by the services sector, which in 2007 accounted for 52 percent of GDP. Uganda has 35 airports. Commercial airlines operate scheduled passenger services out of four airports. Uganda has an international airport, Entebbe International Airport, located 25 miles (40 km) southwest of Kampala. Airport traffic in 2017 hit 1.53 million passengers, an 8% increase from the previous year. A second international airport, Hoima International Airport, is currently under construction.

Swahili, a widely used language in the African Great Lakes region, was approved in 2005 as the country's second official national language. English was the only official language until the Constitution was amended in 2005. However, Swahili is not liked by the Bantu speakers. Populated in the south and southwest of the country, it is an important language in the northern regions. It is also widely used in police and military forces.

Democratic Republic of the Congo [L] , Kenya [L] , Rwanda [L] , South Sudan [L] , Tanzania [L] ,
Definition of international border: L = Land Border | M = Maritime Border